The planned strike at Glasgow and Aberdeen Airports has been suspended after the trade unions achieved progress during discussions at Acas on Friday and Monday, revealed Economo.
The 24-hour strike was planned for Tuesday, April 16, in the lead up to Easter after Unite members at the airport in a row over pay and pensions. In a ballot this month 95% of those who voted backed industrial action.
Workers voted in favour of action scheduled over the spring and summer months amid a row over what Unite described as a “paltry” pay offer and the proposed closure of the airport’s final salary pension scheme.
The strike intentions came after the pension scheme consultation, scheduled to close on April 14, failed to reach an agreement. However, after the latest talks, the proposed closure date will be extended to May 31.
“Progressive talks have been conducted on pay which saw the company table an offer of 3% for Aberdeen International and Glasgow airports. This was met positively by the trade unions”, says the joint-statement of the trade unions. “No agreement has been reached on the company’s proposals regarding the DB pension scheme, however, the company is supportive of the trade unions’ request to continue dialogue involving the chief executive of AGS, Derek Provan”, adds the statement.
Glasgow Airport is an international airport in Scotland. It is located in Paisley, Renfrewshire, 15.9 km west of the city center. In 2017, the airport handled nearly 9.9 million passengers, a 6% annual increase, making it the second-busiest in Scotland, after Edinburgh Airport, and the eighth-busiest airport in the United Kingdom.
Aberdeen International Airport is located at Dyce, a suburb of Aberdeen, Scotland, approximately 9.3 km northwest of the city center. A total of just under 3.1 million passengers used the airport in 2017, an increase of 4.6% compared with 2016.